


Acquaria

by FoxRafer



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-02
Updated: 2007-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-21 20:11:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/229269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxRafer/pseuds/FoxRafer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="http://zee113.livejournal.com/"><b>zee113</b></a>'s request in the <a href="http://early-theory.livejournal.com/"><b>early_theory</b></a> fic exchange.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Acquaria

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [**zee113**](http://zee113.livejournal.com/)'s request in the [**early_theory**](http://early-theory.livejournal.com/) fic exchange.

He wanted nothing more than to feel the leaves, to trace their delicate veins and skim his fingers along each ridged edge. With every pass he made through their branches, he yearned to touch the trees and explore the crevices of the bark with his hands. He imagined what it would be like to wrap his arms around their trunks _pure heaven_ and press his cheek against the spiny-looking skin.

The Aria laughed at his daydreams _they mock me_ and scoffed at his discontent. None understood why their lives did not satisfy him. Theirs was the ultimate freedom, surveying the world while effortlessly traveling wherever they desired. They possessed energy and strength that all elements and creatures on this planet respected. How could this life displease him? But every time he watched people walking through the countryside and among the trees, as he blew their hair and rustled the leaves above their heads, he saw a light in their eyes that challenged the joy of currents and drafts, of swirling and diving across the planes of the earth.

 

While heading for the sea, a small stand of trees enticed him and he dove to briefly wander through the grove. The delicate dance of the swaying branches thrilled him, and he brushed more forcefully _please let me feel you_ , bending the boughs to his strength but earning reproach from his kin. Reluctantly he moved away, gliding once more toward the water.

He had passed over the Acqua many times in his life and although he admired them had never given them much thought. As with all of his kind, he wondered what it felt like to exist within the earth and not above, but most of the time he passed them with only mild interest.

As he lazily twisted and circled, ruffling the surface of the beings in the sea, one such creature briefly surged in front of him and just as quickly disappeared back into the depths below. This wasn't the first time he'd come face to face with an Acquan, but something about this encounter felt like a challenge. He spun around and looked at the surface, and found himself face to face with the most intriguing creature he had ever seen. _Who are you?_ There was a presence to this one, who regarded him with a playful intensity that both beguiled and attracted. _I want you._ He felt an inexplicable pull toward the creature and the Acquan seemed to share his regard.

He dipped toward the surface while simultaneously the Acquan pushed up. They continued to circle one another, slowly at first then faster, both growing frustrated at the inability to hold fast and really discover each other. _Please, please touch me._ The water began to froth and bubble around the Acquan, buffeting his kin who threw angry looks in their direction. But they continued to surge toward one another, having an almost desperate need to touch.

Neither noticed the turbulence beginning to form around them as they resisted the pull from their brothers to stop. _I need you._ They dove and arched through each other, tried to catch and hold but wound up whirling in ever decreasing arcs. _Try harder._ The two creatures, translucent and transparent, shifted and stirred, pulled and swirled, growing more desirous and passionate, needing above all else to feel.

He tried to grab the Acquan's hand once more then violently pulled up. A waterspout erupted around them, and they flew together in the air, twisted and entwined. Their eyes locked as their bodies wove together, feeling more than they had ever experienced in their lives yet still craving more. The clouds began to churn with storm, but despite the turmoil they held on to this moment, afraid to let go.

A crack of thunder bellowed above them as a bolt of lightening pierced their forms. They were pulled apart by the ferocity of the storm they had created and sent flying in opposite directions. As he was thrown away from the Acquan, he felt a pain course through his chest. _I, I ... hurt. I can feel something._ His thoughts became more jumbled as the pain began to spread, radiating outward in wave after wave of agonizing spasms. By the time he hit the ground he was unconscious.

 

Waking up some time later he was afraid to move; his body had never felt so heavy in his life. It was as if every limb was tied down but that would be impossible. And yet he could feel something underneath him, something solid and unyielding against his skin. _I have skin!_ And above him an incredible light made him feel warm _heat, yes, that's it_ , almost hot.

He realized his eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he gingerly cracked one open. He caught a quick glimpse of the sun _it was never so bright before, never so hot_ but its light blinded him and he flung a hand in front of his face. He lay there stunned for a few minutes examining his hand, now somehow able to block the sun. He experimentally moved his fingers, fluttered them against each other, and a laugh escaped his throat as he delighted in the strange sensation he could feel _I can feel!_ with their movement.

The sound that emanated from his mouth startled him and he abruptly cut it off. It seemed out of place in the quiet that surrounded him. _Where am I?_ He became aware that he was unconsciously pulling air into his body and blowing it out again _I'm breathing_. He remembered often giving a small piece of himself to the humans he passed, letting them inhale some of his essence knowing they needed it to live. And then the realization that he could no longer see the Aria hit home and his breath stuttered in his throat. _I'm alone._.

He tried moving, pulling up one shoulder while pushing down the other and rolled onto his side. He stopped his motion with his palm on the ground _this is grass and dirt_ and slowly raised himself until he was sitting, legs straight in front of him. Everything was both familiar and different; he had never seen the world from this perspective before.

As he sat he slowly adjusted to the new density of his body, began bending and stretching his limbs to see what they were capable of. He flexed his new fingers as far apart as he could, marveled at the pull of tendon and bone. He tentatively raised an arm above his head, bent his elbow and touched his hair _I have hair_ , raking his fingers through it and delighting in the texture.

A bird began to chirp noisily to his right and he turned his head, wondering if birds would also look different through his new eyes. What he saw was a small stand of trees on the edge of a lake _TREES_ and he sat mesmerized, watching them quietly sway to the now unseen force of his former kin. He leaned a bit to the right and bent his knees, pulling the lower half of his legs under him before pushing up from the ground onto his feet. His head felt funny for a minute and he staggered, but his body quickly adjusted to this new position _standing, this is standing_. He scanned his thoughts, tried to remember how the people he'd seen before had propelled themselves, then hoped he wouldn't fall when he slowly lifted one foot and placed it further ahead. One foot after the other _I can walk_ he slowly made his way to the life forms he admired most.

He stood beneath the sweeping boughs feeling his hair brush across his forehead in time to the swaying limbs. The leaves laid speckled shadows on his face and he was content to simply feel the tree's presence. He lifted an arm and mirrored the wave of the branches, slowly letting it rise and fall with every gust of wind. Finally he reached for the nearest bough, scraped his hand along its bark and delicately moved his fingers around the leaves. They were rougher than he expected yet still soft and giving. He stepped closer to the trunk and filled his lungs with its earthy scent. Leaning forward he laid his face against it and relished the scrape on his skin. He smiled then let loose a joyous shout, this time not censoring his newly found voice.

 

A snap of a twig caught him off guard, and he spun around to see a man standing a few yards away. The man was young and handsome with an abundance of brown hair and deep brown eyes that reminded him of his beloved trees. _What color are my eyes?_ But there was something in the eyes that he recognized, a quality he thought he could see in their depths that was familiar and captivating. _Do I know him?_ His gaze slowly moved down the stranger's unclothed body, making note of lean muscle and smooth skin. _Do I please him?_ He found himself responding viscerally to this man, instinctively moving closer as the stranger approached him. Now so close they could feel each other's breath on their skin, he looked once more into the man's eyes and knew that this was the Acquan _my Acquan_ now flesh and bone standing before him.

They reached for each other at the same time, intrigued and excited. Fingers explored every curve, hands molded to muscle and squeezed flesh, tongues tasted skin and mouths. _Don't ever stop touching me._ They were sustained, buoyed by the connection, and although slightly clumsy and fumbling they latched on and marveled at every new sensation.

The two men rocked together, curling newly solid limbs around bodies trembling with want. Gasping, they drank from the other's passion, moving as one through wave after wave of surging emotions. Both heady with desire, the feelings overwhelmed their senses, and the flesh between their legs soon erupted, spilling onto their hands and stomachs, falling to the ground in spurts. They collapsed under the tree, suddenly exhausted but completely content, and held tightly to one another as they drifted into sleep.

 

They had no real sense of time as they found their way in this new world. Together they learned what it was like to be hungry and how to find food. They discovered that just as they needed air to breathe, they also needed water to drink and gave thanks every day to the sacrifices of their former brethren so that they might now live in this new form. Over time things became clearer to them and as their minds began to acclimate and adapt things began to come to them intuitively.

Through trial and error they built a home in the country, much closer to the wild beasts that roamed in the wilderness than the settlements filled with other humans. For many months they observed the members of their new race, watched and listened from a distance before gradually starting to interact, and began to learn most of what they needed to survive. They found much joy in learning to read, and spent hours in the library poring through books to select names for themselves.

He woke one morning, once one of the Aria but now delighted to have weight and warmth. In his arms was his mate, a former Acquan whose strength and care gave him renewed energy every day. He smiled at their struggles, always met as one, and their triumphs, always celebrated with enthusiasm. Lying in this ever-present cocoon of safety and contentment, the word "love" became clear in his mind. He sensed the rightness of the feeling and the correctness of the term. This is what he had found, and this he would cherish until his body no longer breathed in life.


End file.
